Two men gets detained over discovery of explosives in Ireland
Garrett Pollock, 35, from Annalong in County Down, and Karolis Peckauskas, 38, from Drogheda in County Louth, appeared at a special session of the Portlaoise District Court after police in both regions uncovered explosives during a cross-border counter-terror operation.
Pollock faces charges for possession of explosives at O'Moore Place in Portlaoise and at a location in Kilhorne Green, County Down. Gardai objected to granting bail, citing the severity of the charges, flight risk, and the belief that he posed “a threat to the state.”
Detective Declan O’Connor informed the court that a video was recovered from a device in Pollock’s home showing four masked men standing in front of a tri-color flag. In the footage, the men threatened to target “Ireland’s first mosque” in Galway, along with International Protection Accommodation Service centers and hotels housing migrants.
Judge Andrew Cody described the video as appearing to be “a practice of a statement being released subsequent to a successful terrorist attack.” He noted that the individuals in the footage spoke of “an eye for an eye” and claimed responsibility for “the destruction of the first mosque that was introduced in Ireland in County Galway.”
The judge stated that the video supported police suspicions that Pollock was among the masked men and denied him bail. He has been remanded in custody with a court appearance scheduled for Thursday.
Peckauskas, who is also charged with possession of explosives, told the court: “I do not understand.” An interpreter was provided, and he was remanded in custody to appear next week.
Additionally, a document described as a “manifesto” for the group was discovered during searches. Authorities believe the video was filmed in Portlaoise but had not been publicly shared, according to reports.
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